One Night Stand
by AGENT LOOCAY
Summary: After a one night stand with her captain, Nanao finds out that she is with child… Shunsui’s child. The thing is… he doesn’t know about the one night stand or the child. Mystery and intrigue ensue… yeah right. Haha, read on, dear readers. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Bahhh there are so many rampant ideas running around in my head. I'm seriously digging my own grave here… When the heck am I going to find the time to continue all these stories? Haha. Oh well…Shunsui and Nanao are love:D_

_Feedback, please, as usual :)_

_I'm only saying this once: I do not own Bleach. If I did, then I'd probably die of happiness._

**One Night Stand** (the title's lame, I know, I know. Couldn't think of anything better haha.)

**Chapter One**

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Ise Nanao rolled over with a groan.

She blinked, eyes watering slightly at the soft morning sunshine just beginning to shine through the trees and slipping through the curtains.

_So it is dawn._

Her head was pounding from the most massive hangover she had ever had, and her throat was dry; she slowly reached over to grab the pitcher of water next to the bed. Her eyes, blurred without her glasses, did not catch the captain's robe hanging on the beside table.

The hangover medicine in the morning water dispelled the headache before it could get any worse. _Sometimes I really miss Urahara… no matter that he stared at anything with a skirt and breasts. This medicine is genius._

She closed her eyes again, reveling in the smooth sheets wrapped around her… naked body?!

Her eyes snapped open again, but before she could move, a long lanky arm wrapped around her torso and pulled her backwards against a distinctly masculine body. Her skin immediately flushed red at this intimate contact, especially because she realized the body behind her was certainly not clothed either.

Already shocked beyond belief, she was even more unprepared for the silky voice that uttered her given name like a caress:

"Nanao… chan…"

_Kyouraku-taicho?!?!_

She slowly disentangled herself from his arms, and sitting up, turned around to gaze down at her captain. _Whew. I'm glad he isn't awake yet…_

Nanao pondered over the possible effects of this kind of encounter between her and her captain. She could not possibly believe that he would have a sustained relationship with her; she knew what kind of man he was. A pretty boy. A playboy. It did not help matters that she would be seeing and interacting with him on a daily basis; she would not be able to stand it if he broke her heart. Sighing at her inevitable conclusion, she quickly dressed and walked out the room before he could wake up. This one night stand would remain only in her memories. She hoped that her captain had been stoned enough that come morning, he would have forgotten all about it.

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……….

….

Shunsui rolled over with a groan.

He pressed his face into the pillows, trying in vain to dispel the predictable hangover. The unpredictable thing was the clinging scent of shampoo that was attached to his pillows.

He blinked once, twice, staring at the imprint on the other half of bed that showed that he had had a nighttime visitor. _Damn, that shampoo smells good,_ he thought with a grin. He tried in vain to remember the previous night. All he could recall was getting so unbelievably drunk that Matsumoto probably had to carry him back to his captain's quarters. Too bad Byakuya held claim over Matsumoto; if the cold 6th division captain hadn't been involved with the busty blonde, then Kyouraku might know who had shared his bed last night.

Well, he wasn't about to go around smelling everyone's hair; he did have an image to maintain. While he was quite the flirtatious male, he had not seriously contemplated becoming involved with someone except his dear Nanao-chan. The girl was simply exquisite, but she did not know it. Kyouraku was determined to make her find out, and the first step was to not mention last night's mystery encounter with anyone, least of all her. She would probably think that he was going back to his meandering ways.

He'd show her that he truly loved her; he was not joking this time.

And it all started here.

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_A/N: Mehhhh. Not my best work. I have an outline for this story though :D Hopefully the chapters will be less awkward as we go along. Concrit is very very welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hahaha. You, dear readers, are so lovely xD Please, I'm going to get complacent and stop trying to write my best, and then I'll start getting flames HAHA. I'll just cook some marshmallows then, I guess :)_

_Read on…_

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**One Night Stand**

**Chapter 2**

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Ise Nanao was sick.

Or so she thought.

At any rate, vomiting continuously into a small toilet bowl was not her preferred way to start a morning.

She could not get sick _now_ of all times; in less than a month it was her turn to go to Karakura to oversee the general hollow conditions there. She could not miss her shift; as a lieutenant, it just wasn't done. If you took your job as seriously as Ise Nanao did, that is.

She sighed, running a hand through unkempt hair. It had been three weeks or so since her… encounter with Shunsui-taicho, and this atrocious vomiting had started the day before yesterday. _Nanao-chan, you should go see Unohana-san, she'll make you better!_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like said captain piped up in her head.

Closing her eyes in submission, she slowly dressed and made her way to the 4th division.

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"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT? THE HELL IS THIS?"

Under normal circumstances, the cool and impassive Ise Nanao would not have blown up as she had. She was not the type to curse at all. But, naturally, these were not normal circumstances.

"Ise-fukutaicho. You must calm down. If what I suspect is true, then you must not become overly stressed."

"I-it can't be true, Unohana-taicho. It just can't be."

"Well, we'll have to take the test and find out, won't we?" Unohana-taicho said in a gentle but firm voice. "Now please, sit down in this chair. I will give you a reiatsu once-over."

Nanao let out a long breath. "These test results are confidential, right?"

"Yes, of course, unless you choose to reveal them to someone. I would suggest telling Shunsui-taicho, so he knows not to put you on missions that are too hard—"

"NO!" Frantic thoughts ran across her mind; she could not let Kyouraku-taicho find out. If she did, then he could put two and two together…

"It is your choice, Ise-fukutaicho."

Nanao nodded wearily.

A few minutes passed as blue light shimmered from Unohana's fingertips. And then, "Congratulations, Ise-san. You are with child… now I will need to schedule bimonthly appointments with you to see how it is coming along. In around three months you'll be able to find out what gender the child is."

Head bowed, Nanao nodded slowly before exiting the room.

How could she have let this happen? What had she done that night? The infuriating white fuzz still blocked the events three weeks ago; she could not recall anything except becoming unbelievable drunk. Hopefully, bits and pieces of memory would come back to her slowly.

Back in her office, she slowly banged her head against the table. _Dammit. This complicates matter so much. This isn't just one isolated incident; now I've got to be hiding a child from my captain? Ludicrous. Maybe I could get a division transfer…? No. _She sighed. _I'm too devoted to him. I've gotten myself in too deep, over my head, bit off more than I could chew… all of those human clichés. _

_I'm never getting drunk again._

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Shunsui groaned, rubbing his head tiredly. Such a long day at work… Nanao-chan chasing him with her fan, whacking him in the head in the book, completing one form (the most important one, for the division's sake funds)… all in one morning. Blessed relief had returned when Nanao had run to the bathroom. On the way back, she had called into the office and told him, inexplicably, that she had to run to the 4th division for something. Probably papers Unohana-san had to sign.

Life was unfair. It was days like these that he remembered song lyrics from a faraway song that he could not remember the name of anymore…

_Love is like Novocain_

_And it leaves a little stain;_

_The beauty in all this pain is I can't get away from you. _

_So pull me down, don't make a sound…_

There were days when he could not remember life without Nanao. His vice-captain had arrived nearly five hundred years ago; back then, she had been a fresh recruit from the relatively mild sixth division (not to insult Byakuya-sama, of course.) However, there were other certain… priorities that he had that differed from those of captains from other divisions.

One of these priorities, was of course, sake. He had laughingly announced this to her, showing her the fairly enormous stack of paperwork that had to do with alcohol.

The moment that Nanao found this little tidbit of information out was a memory that would be forever imprinted into Shunsui's head.

The girl, no matter that she was reasonably green, had closed her eyes exasperatedly, pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, and…

…had whacked him in the head with her fan.

He had gaped in utter disbelief for a grand total of fifteen seconds, and as she hunched her back slightly, prepared for severe reprimanding, had swept her up into a great bear hug and planted a forceful kiss onto the center of her forehead. She spluttered indignantly and had demanded at once that he put her down; he had responded with a broad smile, and has said, "Dear Nanao-chan, I believe this division will be much more lively with you around."

And it had not been a lie. Daily, without fail, Nanao could be seen clouting her captain; the object doing the smacking was understandably different given what was available at hand. However, the division's shinigami could be prepared for the show at any and all times; during morning exercises, at the mess hall for lunch, even during a hollow attack.

It had been the beginning of a beautiful relationship, and somewhere, somehow, through those blissful days, he had fallen in love with her.

He could not sit around and wait for a chance now – it was far too late in the game for that. Now, he had to make a chance. And the only way to do that was…

Sighing, he grabbed the nearest pile of paperwork and grimly bent to work on it.

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_A/N: Likey? Hatey? Review plez _

_This is for you, J. You know who you are:_

_BEAUTY IS FLEEEEETING!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Soooo! Thanks so much for all the lovely comments last chapter. You all give me the motivation to write!_

_Yay I also finally got a spot of advice hehehe. I think it's up for you readers to decide though; would you rather have long long long chapters that come maybe two or three times a month (tentative) or do you want relatively shorter chapters (probably ranging from the last chapter to… three thousand words? in length) once a week? Drop me a line, si'l vous plait. I'd really appreciate it!_

_Hahaha and be patient, people. Obviously, Nanao has to start showing _sometime_, so of course she'd have to explain. All that matters now is when… -laughs evilly-_

_Oh yes. Last chapter's song was _Champagne_ by _Sugarcult._ Bwahaha it reminded me of Shunsui's rather dubious relationship with sake…_

_One more thing. Anyone interested in being my beta:)_

_Anyways, onward ho :)_

**One Night Stand**

**Chapter 3**

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_Mid-morning, before Nanao visits the 4__th__ division_

"Uh… who the hell are ya?"

Nanao tried to refrain from banging her head against the wall of the corridor. It would be bad for the baby.

A bleary eyed Zaraki Kenpachi blinked owlishly (if that was even possible for him) up at her. The familiar bells in the 11th division captain's hair were surprisingly absent today. However, she suspected he had been too hung over today to bother with it so early in the morning. Why was everyone getting drunk out of their minds this time of year? "Dammit… my… head… _hurts_."

Her eyes veered upwards to vicinity of her hairline. Swiftly, efficiently, she pulled the stopper out of a tiny bottle and poured its contents into a pitcher of water before tipping it to neatly fill a cup of water. She handed it silently to Zaraki – though she had long since stopped being afraid of the imposing man, he still did hold a strange sort of intimidation over her.

"…the fuck is this? Ahhhh…" the captain stretched long arms over his hands for a long moment before blinking again and opening his one good eye to look at her. "Er… good morning, Ise-fukutaicho… Sorry, er, about the mess around here." He gestured haphazardly at the surrounding debris, for lack of a better word, that littered the ground and desk of his office. "Got drunk."

"Evidently," Nanao replied with a faint, barely-there smile. However daunting the man could be, he couldn't not pull some amusement out of her sometime or another. He was like a little child; but imagine, being the mother of Zaraki Kenpachi, the most insanely… insane of the captains of the Gotei 13 (with the exception of, perhaps, Kurotsuchi)? Laughable.

"What did ya need, Ise-fukutaicho?" Zaraki croaked, slowly getting up from his desk to grasp the papers in Nanao's outstretched hands.

It was a typical morning.

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_After the visit to the 4__th__ division_

The next night was to be Rangiku-san and Kuchiki-taicho's engagement party. Theirs was a funny love story; sometimes Nanao could not believe how they could ever see each other without Rangiku yelling or Kuchiki glaring flintily at her. Well, to each his own, she supposed.

The problem this time around was that she still needed to purchase a dress; naturally, given her devotion to her work, she was not one to frivolously spend money, like the busty blonde. She had not been shopping in a long time, and was rather desperately in need for some help.

_That's the only reason I'm asking her for help,_ Nanao try to justify to herself. _I want to look good for Rangiku, not for some cheap, sleazy, good-for-nothing captain of mine…_

_Oh to hell with it._

Her eyes closed briefly, before opening again to search the District One plaza for signature strawberry blonde hair. _Where is she? Dammit, it's just like her to be late…_

Shaking her head slowly, she looked around for something to do. Hands tugging at a cerulean scarf, she thought about her situation. It would become rather obvious, even though she was a willowy, slender woman, by the fourth or fifth month of the pregnancy that she was with child. Sighing internally, she thought about what her captain would say. How would he react? _Stay calm, Nanao. We'll burn that bridge when we get there._

Gently, she tried to dislodge that train of thought from its tracks. _Hopeless. You can't stop thinking about what he'll do. Will he know the child's his? No… no. If he began remembering that night, things would become much more problematic. _She rubbed at her temples. _It's not like I can do anything about it. What's done is done… what's coming will come. I'll just have to meet it when it doe-_

"Yo! Why are we meeting here, Nanao-chan? Want to dress up for _someone_ at the party?"

Spluttering, Nanao lifted an arm from her face to peer up at her friend hanging from on top of the café's roof.

"Of course not, Rangiku. Don't be gauche. Anyways, what the heck are you doing up there?"

"Oh, nothing. You know I like getting a rise out of you." The fukutaicho grinned before sliding down from the rooftop and landing lightly on her feet. "Well? What are we waiting for? There's shopping to be done, woman!"

"Oh lord. Is that all you think about?" Nanao, grumbling, brushed off the late February snow off of her shoulders. "I hope the hotel you've rented for the occasion has powerful central heating. I hate this weather."

Rangiku shivered a bit, pulling on the pink scarf around her neck. "Agreed, darling. Alright, if you don't want to turn into a popsicle right here and now, we'd better go get our blood pumping. I saw this really good place to get our hair done on the day of! And this dress shop…"

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"YOU ARE CRAZY! ABSOLUTELY OFF YOUR ROCKER! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU—YOU! AUGH!"

"Calm down, dear. Seriously, that light blue will go stunningly with your eyes… a touch of blush there, some concealer and face powder for a fuller look, a tad of light blue eye shadow, some mascara…"

"THAT IS NOT THE POINT! IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG!"

"You're attracting a lot of unwanted attention, you know."

"And that is _exactly_ what this dress is going to do too! I can't believe you talked me into getting it…"

"It's absolutely lovely, Nanao. Why can't you see that?"

"It's… it's… it's strapless! It's… _STRAPLESS._"

"That's it. Stop being a prude already, Nanao! It's going to look beautiful on you. Really. And besides, what's wrong with a bit of attention from the other sex once in a while?"

"Aargh."

"Honestly, you're bound to catch someone's attention tomorrow night, no sweat."

"Blaargh."

"Don't worry, you won't look as good as me, if that's what you're worried about."

"AARGH! RANGIKU!"

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_A/N: Haha, it's been a while, kids. Sorry for the long wait. Thankfully, it's Chinese New Year Break for two more weeks, so hopefully I can crank out another chapter for you all soon. About the beta thing, just leave me a comment, and I'll try to get back to you about it after I come back from Beijing on the 12__th__. I'm not sure if I'll have internet access there, but I'll be working on the next chapter._

_At this pace, I'm fairly sure next chapter should be all about the engagement party, and preparing for it. :)_

_Props to whoever can figure out where that one quote in Nanao's head comes from._

_Thank you, reviewers!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: TBA

_A/N: Ah, sorry for the later update, guys. I seemed to have stumbled over a retarded roadblock over what was going to happen during the engagement party, so I took a short break for a while. School has resumed… blargh. It's horrible. My first week really sucked._

_Right, so if anyone is still interested in the beta-ing job, PM me! And include your email in the PM :D_

_Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Con-crit is very much welcome._

**One Night Stand**

**Chapter 4**

There was a reason why Shunsui didn't go to parties. Especially _engagement_ parties. First of all, they repeatedly reminded him of his own ineptitude at sustaining a lasting relationship with any woman, not to mention his sore lacking in the feminine area altogether. No, it wasn't that he was too busy for social life, far from it; Nanao-chan was, in fact, the one who did the bulk of the paperwork for the Tenth Division. It was just that after Nanao had become his fukutaicho, everything had been different.

Second, why go to a boring, dull, stuffy affair of a party when you could go _clubbing?_ Sake definitely beat champagne any day. Although champagne really wasn't a bad drink either…

The pink-clad taichou sighed. Despite his reservations, this particular party was especially important. If his favorite drinking buddy wasn't coming along with him, then bar-hopping was every bit as dull as any more formal social event. As such… he _had_ to go to Rangiku and Byakuya's engagement party. It was proper protocol, after all, and maybe he'd get a chance to spike the punch. A party with him and Rangiku would be infinitely rowdier.

At any rate, he had to go get something called a "suit" done. Rangiku's formal dinner called for clothing of the more human-world sort, and Shunsui had nothing that fit in that department. Consequently, he and Jyuushiro would be leaving for Rukongai to find something suitable. Apparently, the outer courts were more fashionably advanced than Seireitei ("Out with the old and in with the new, I always say! Kimonos are so yesterday. We really need a change in shinigami uniforms, ya know?" Rangiku could ramble on and on about clothes for the rest of her life, if need be).

Also, he _was _rather curious as to what dear Nanao-chan was wearing to the semi-formal event. Provided she did go. A skimpy back-less dress? Or maybe a poofier tutu-esque piece of clothing? Bubble skirt? Sheath? _Wait… no no no. No wandering down that alley... How the hell do I know so much about dresses in the first place? Damn that Rangiku._

Speaking of the beautiful, straight-laced vice captain, she had been acting stranger than usual for the past few days. Casting furtive glances at his desk when she thought he wasn't looking, avoiding him – more than usual, anyway – and giving him the cold shoulder. Her skin seemed sallower than it had been before, and there were dark bags under her eyes. Was his sweet Nanao-chan coming down with something? _Our division's rotation for hollow watch in Karakura is coming up in a month or so… I hope she'll be up for it, _Shunsui thought bemusedly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jyuushiro walking slowly towards the gate where he was standing.

"Ahhh, Jyuushiro, old friend. Well then, shall we get going?"

The white-haired man smiled gently, tilting his head in acquiescence. "Of course, Shunsui."

* * *

_Dammit! Damn it all to hell. Isn't it called _morning_ sickness for a reason?_

An enraged Nanao stood in Rangiku's bathroom, staring the toilet bowl down as she flushed its contents. _It just had to start today of all days, didn't it? I have to go to the party. I'm in her apartment getting ready, for goodness' sake. She can't find out about this pregnancy until I'm ready to tell her. Stupid stupid stupid stupid…_

Trudging back to the full-length mirror in her friend's apartment, she smiled weakly at her friend who was staring blankly at her. _On second thought, thank God it's not morning._

"Are you alright, Nanao?" Concerned blue eyes peered up at her own, a questioning look in them.

"I'll be fine, Rangiku. Help me get this blasted dress on."

The fukutaichou smiled, albeit a bit confusedly. "Hopefully you're not getting sick or anything; it means a lot to me that you're coming to my engagement party."

Nanao grinned quirkily at her friend. "Now, now, no need to get all soppy on me, Rangiku. Promise you'll do my make-up for me? I'm not an expert on these kinds of things, as you well know…"

Rangiku shook her long mane of hair haughtily, before answering, "Of course, darling. You'd be lost without me."

A fluffy feather pillow narrowly missed the laughing woman's head.

* * *

Nanao winced as she walked into the brightly lit ballroom. The tight, sleeveless dress she wore rubbed against her chest in a way that caused… well, great discomfort, to put it blandly. From what Unohana-taichou had briefed her on at yesterday's check-up, she was sure this was one of the other symptoms of pregnancy. Extremely sensitive breasts. How lovely. However, if she didn't want anyone to suspect anything, she'd have to play this particular aspect down. Pasting on a smile that felt more like a grimace, she strode towards the front table to help set up the punch bowl and various appetizers.

At six o' clock sharp, Byakuya and Rangiku strode out of the tall double doors that led to the ballroom and began welcoming the other guests inside. Slow, comfortable jazz music was playing in the background, and people were let in to find their seats. Nanao herself, she found out with a groan, was seated with her misty-eyed taichou, Yachiru, Kenpachi, Hitsugaya, and Hinamori. The captians, vice-captains, and other shinigami who had been invited were evidently seated together in a series of round tables that held six. Nanao resolved to sit farthest from her captain, who was sporting a light pink tux and black tie _(that look rather appealing, thank you very much, _whispered a voice in Nanao's head, which she promptly ignored), as possible.

This resolve was soon smashed to bits by the person in question when Shunsui insisted that he sit right next to his "dear Nanao-chan," whom he observed to be "a bit peaky."

When the guests had all found their places, Byakuya and Rangiku swept into the middle of the dance floor and began dancing to a short song. The rowdier guests began hooting and calling. Rangiku seemed to be having the time of her life; Byakuya just looked cold and impassive, but some of the others could see the softening of his eyes when he looked at his fiancée.

After the dance, Rangiku went to her table, grabbed a fork, and tapped a champagne glass to get everyone's attention. "As you can see, dear friends and," with a wink at Nanao, "family, behind you along the back wall are platters for the buffet dinner. Please feel free to help yourselves!"

And with that, the chaos began.

Hungry shinigami, no doubt tired after a long day of work, descended upon the buffet and punch table like vultures on a piece of rather well-preserved meat. The other non-shinigami guests stood in shock, startled at the voracious appetites of their protectors. Unohana had to resort to herding them all into the line.

Nanao decided to wait until the line was shorter before getting her dinner. She was starting to feel a bit queasy again, and didn't want to push it. Unfortunately, Shunsui, sensing that all was not well with his fukutaichou, sat hovering over her, demanding to know what was wrong.

"Nanao-chan, you look green. Not a spring cold, is it? Are you sure you're alright? I can escort you back to the barracks, if you want…" Shunsui said with a slightly lecherous grin.

Nanao sighed. "No, taichou, I'm fine. Let Rangiku have her night. Then I'm going straight home."

The captain stood up and bent down so he was looking directly into his vice-captain's eyes. He was so close to her that she could count the individual flecks of gold in his warm brown irises. Her breath hitched slightly as Shunsui leaned even closer. "I hope you're telling the truth, Nanao-chan. Because if you weren't," he whispered, "and I find out that you haven't been taking care of yourself, then I'd have to… punish you." As he pulled away slowly, Nanao could have sworn that his lips brushed over the shell of her ear.

Without a glance backwards, the captain then proceeded to glide towards the tables of food.

_UNBELIEVABLE!_ thought Nanao, silently fuming as a bright flush diffused over her cheeks. Damn_ that man. I'm trying my hardest to enjoy the party and ignore any discomfort, and he has to come over and ruin everything!_

_Wait… whoa there, Nanao. Getting hormonal already? _A voice that sounded surprisingly like Rangiku admonished her slightly.

Letting out a small puff of air, she headed to the table to see if she could shove any food into her stomach. On the way there, Kenpachi wordlessly handed a garish pink and purple glass of punch to her. She had no doubt that it was spiked.

Unohana, gliding next to her, shook her head covertly at the dark-haired woman. "You can't accept any drinks tonight, Nanao, dear. Keep the baby in mind."

Nanao blushed furiously before whispering to the 4th division captain, "I don't drink anyway, Unohana-taichou. Don't worry about it." She waved a hurried goodbye before stalking to Rangiku's side, where the proud bride-to-be was beaming happily and exchanging whispers with an ever-stoic Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Kuchiki-taichou. Matsumoto-fukutaichou."

Rangiku laughed. "Oh come now, Nanao, no need to be so stiff and formal. It's an engagement party, for goodness' sake! Loosen up, will you?"

"Whatever will help you sleep at night, dear Rangiku-san," Nanao sniffed, before smiling slightly at her friend. The playful banter continued as Byakuya turned to talk to Renji. His red-haired friend was dressed sharply, and Nanao had to do a double-take before she realized that the man in front of her was the uncouth fukutaichou of the 6th division.

An hour or two later, the reception had ended, and a grinning Rangiku ran up to the front of the stage, stunning red dress glinting in the light, bow askew.

"Thank you all for coming tonight! It means a lot to me… and to Byakuya, though he might not admit it." Nanao gave her a discreet thumbs up, before wincing again at the pain in her chest.

"I'm sure you all know that the wedding ceremony will be this summer, sometime in June."

_What a procrastinator, even when it comes to her own wedding…_ Rangiku smiled ruefully. "Well, that's all, folks! If you're looking for a nice, private alcove," here, the fukutaichou smirked evilly, "then feel free to go out to the back of the hotel. There're gardens there that are open till two in the morning. Ja!"

Rangiku stepped off the stage and headed over to where Nanao, Shunsui, Byakuya, and Renji were standing. Nanao had to stifle a chuckle when she saw the exasperated look on Byakuya's face. Rangiku swiftly kissed the expression away, and started dragging Byakuya towards the back door.

Byakuya, looking back one more time, called for Renji to follow. Nanao paled, sensing a catastrophe just waiting to happen. The 6th division captain caught her eye and… winked. Renji, grumbling, stood up and –

_Wait, WHAT? Kuchiki Byakuya just _winked _at me? What the—_

"Oh Nanaooooooo-chaaaan!"

_Damn you, Byakuya-sama._

"What, may I ask, do you want, taichou?"

"Oh, Nanao-chan, so cold, so cold!" She was unmoved when presented with his chibi-crying face.

"I'm worried about you, Nanao." The expression on the eighth division captain's face abruptly turned serious. "I know I was always tell you this, but don't overwork yourself for my sake."

Nanao found herself oddly touched by Shunsui's words. The brown-haired man's visage remained thoughtful for a second longer before—

"Now then! Let me walk you home, Nanao-chaaaan!" The captain eagerly thrust a victory sign underneath Nanao's stunned face before latching on to her arm like an octopus and leading her out of the hotel.

_Way to ruin a moment, taichou, _she thought, but strangely, there was no heat in it anymore.

* * *

_A/N: Ehhh I'm not very happy about this chapter. Oh well though… at least it's something? Haha. Tell me what you think!_


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